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The bar is set pretty high in my family

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Contributed by: Eric J. Lubbers, YourHub.com on 7/12/2006

I get a little nostalgic at this time of year. "Why?" you say.

The end of school? No.

The changing of the seasons? Nope.

Dancing around the May pole? That does seem fun, but no.

It's state track season, baby! Awwwwwww yeah! Woooo!

What's that? Track isn't a spectator sport? Well you obviously haven't been to a 3A state track meet. It's like the Super Bowl, World Series and your birthday rolled into two sunny, sweaty, life-affirming days.

I've been to at least one day of every 3A state track meet since 1993, the year I graduated from Morris Primary School and headed to fourth grade at Yuma Middle School.

I've stuck with the meet through venue changes, from the pre-renovation Jeffco Stadium (and its single two-man concession stand for the entire packed stadium), the amazing facility at Fountain and, recently, the sun-baked climes of Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo.

Some families gather around the TV to watch football or baseball. My family waited breathlessly for the Olympics or NCAA championships to roll around, because we love track. It's in my genes.

My grandfather, Lloyd Lubbers, was high-jumping with the pre- Fosbury Flop Western roll over a bar six feet high onto 6-inch mats when he was in high school.

He begat my dad, another Lloyd, who goes by Jack, who was a multi-event athlete at Pueblo South High School. He ran hurdles, he sprinted, he jumped, he vaulted, he even threw the discus occasionally for the Colts. He has been a girl's track coach at Yuma High School since before I was born, hence the perfect attendance at the state meet, and he's had at least one girl in the competition for as long as I can remember.

My own track career began in second grade (thanks to the Track Attack Club), but it didn't get interesting until I was finally able to pole vault.

I had always wanted to vault. Pole vaulters are like the rock stars of the track scene. It's fast, it's dangerous and it's the most fun I ever had in high school sports.

I only got a taste of the event, as my school didn't have the equipment for it until my senior year. I would like to think that pole vault was built into my DNA and I took to it like a duck to water, but in reality, I struggled until the last few meets. I got second in my conference and just missed a state berth.

My younger siblings, however, have had the heady flow of time on their side and they are both doing great in the sport I love.

Lucas, a junior, cleared 12 feet (a school record) for the first time this year and qualified for state with ease and is in the top ten vaulters in 3A this year.

Emily, my little sister, is just a freshman at Yuma High School, but she cleared eight feet just last week (also a school record) and she'll be joining the best vaulters in the state in Pueblo on Saturday.

I'm sure we aren't the only track family out there. Does your family salivate at the sound of a starting gun or own at least a dozen styles of waterproof sweats? Or maybe your family has a different sports obsession. Tell me about your sports family. Leave a comment in the box below and get out there and support your local pole vaulters!

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Submitted By: Tabitha Dial

posted on 5/18/2006 @ 12:11:16 PM

Rated Blog Entry

Oh, my family's passion wasn't for track when I was in high school.... it was for marching band. My older brother, Travis, joined his freshman year and thus began 8 years of die-hard dedication to the Tiger Pride Marching Band of Grand Junction, Colorado. My dad was a "Tiger Pride Proud Pit Parent" and my mom was on the phone tree. Years after graduation I had a dream that the director offered me the job of Color Guard Coach. And I totally took it! "Band, ten hut!"

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Submitted By: Karen Groves

posted on 5/18/2006 @ 11:56:22 AM

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What a family! I didn't go to many track games, either as kid or as a parent. But I have been to lots of basketball games and piano recitals for my boys and now I really enjoy basketball, something I never really paid attention to before, and music has always been in the family, so we always corral any family members we can for basketball and or music performances. It starts young and spreads I guess. Great story

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Submitted By: Brendan Leonard

posted on 5/18/2006 @ 11:42:36 AM

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Or, to paraphrase Hunter Thompson, 3A State Track is a far, far better thing than the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and the Lower Oakland Roller Derby finals all rolled into one. My family is genetically inclined towards not track, but knee and back injuries! Ha!

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